Brown Butter and Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Once again, my solemn and proud duty was to provide dessert and the side dish for Christmas dinner. I wanted to try a new type of mashed potato recipe, and this one combines my love of brown butter (usually reserved for cupcake frosting) and scallions. I love that I found a way to incorporate brown butter in a savory dish. Don't be fooled by the relative simplicity of this recipe; it has a lot of great, complex flavors. Enjoy!

Brown Butter and Scallion Mashed Potatoes

5 lb. of Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. low-fat sour cream
1 1/2 sticks of salted butter
2 bunches of scallions, cut in to 1/2-inch pieces (I use nearly the entire scallion, from bulk to stalk)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cover the potatoes in a large pot by 2 inches of water or so. Add 1.5 teaspoons salt and bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are tender (12 to 15 minutes).
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the pot. Cook over moderate heat, shaking occasionally until dry (2 minutes, at the most). Mash the potatoes and cover.
3. Add milk and remaining 1.5 teaspoons of salt to a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add the milk to the potatoes, and stir until combined. Mix in the sour cream and cover.
4. Cook the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Scrape up the brown bits, and wait until the foam subsides. The butter will turn golden brown rather quickly, so be prepared. 5. Once the butter does turn golden brown, add the scallions and black pepper. Stir and cook for two minutes or until the scallions soften a bit.
6. Fold the butter mixture in to the potatoes and season with salt (I added maybe one or two pinches).

Gingerbread Cake with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Despite my protests, the family decided to veto my annual bacchanal of chocolate and pumpkin during the Christmas holiday. Instead, I chose to go with a gingerbread cake. I am new to the world of gingerbread, but this cake was pretty amazing: fragrant, flavorful, and kinda spicy. In an attempt to balance the flavors, I went with a lemon cream cheese frosting. It's a bit winter, and it's a bit summer.

Gingerbread Cake with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake

Butter and flour, for greasing a pan
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 c. minced crystallized ginger
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 c. golden brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 c. dark molasses
1 c. boiling water
2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

For the frosting

1 package of low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 c. confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a Bundt pan; place in the fridge until ready to bake.
3 Sift flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl (or simply combine them and fluff the ingredients with a fork). Mix in the crystallized ginger.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is fluffy. Beat in the brown sugar. Beat in one egg at a time. Gradually pour in molasses, then boiling water. Fold in grated orange peel.
5. Gradually, fold in dry ingredients.
6. Pour batter in to pan and bake for 45 minutes, give or take. Keep a close eye on it, and pull it out as soon as you insert a knife and it is "almost" clean. The cake will continue to bake in the pan while cooling.
7.  Cool on a rack for 20 minutes or so before inverting on a platter.
8. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar until desired sweetness and density. I used approximately 3 cups.
9. Cool the cake completely before icing.

Gluten-Free Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

This recipe rekindled my love affair with Nutella. And it's gluten-free. And it's delicious. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

adapted from Babble

Brownie Layer:
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 c. softened, unsalted butter
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. Nutella
1/3 c. Pamela's gluten-free baking mix

Cheesecake Layer:
8 oz. low-fat cream cheese
1/2 c. Nutella
1/2 c. granuated sugar
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In one bowl, beat all of the brownie ingredients together. 

3. In a separate bowl, beat together all of the cheesecake ingredients. 

4. Scrape the brownie batter into the bottom of an 8×8 pan. Pour the cheesecake all over the top of the brownie batter and smooth the cheesecake completely over the brownie layer with a spatula. 

5. Bake for 50 - 55 minutes (our oven required 52 minutes). The center of the brownies will be set, but a toothpick inserted in to the middle won't come out dry. Don't worry.

6. Cool the brownies completely before serving with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Crock Pot Butter Chicken

John and I were the lucky recipients of a Crock Pot for a wedding gift (thanks, Amber and Mike!), and our lives were forever altered. We started with a few easy recipes (pulled pork cooked in ginger ale) and quickly graduated to international fare (a Moroccan tagine).

Last week, my sister-in-law was gracious enough to share a recipe for an Indian dish cooked in a crock pot. We tweaked the recipe a bit, and it was pretty much the awesomest thing ever. After posting a picture on Facebook and receiving some rather desperate pleas to share the recipe, I decided to dust off this blog and share it! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Butter Chicken
adapted from Babble

1 white onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 green chilis, seeded and sliced
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric 
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
20 ounces (4 or 5 pieces) of boneless chicken thighs, uncooked
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup of organic half-and-half


1. Mix everything except the spinach and half-and-half in the Crock Pot. Place the chicken on top.
2. Cook for 7 hours on low. After a few hours, stir the mixture and place some of the vegetables and liquid on top of the chicken.
3. Before serving, stir in the spinach and let it wilt. Pour in the half-and-half and mix well.
4. Keep the Crock Pot on the "warm" setting while you wait to serve it.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Chocolate Cake

This cake has a deep, dark secret. On the surface, it looks like the All-American Cake Next Door. It tastes delicious, with a moist, dense texture reminiscent of a flourless chocolate cake. However, the secret to this cake is not expensive chocolate. It's not fancy sugar or a complicated baking technique that makes it special.

It's garbanzo beans.

Don't cringe yet. Give it a chance. Don't listen to the so-called "experts" who will tell you that garbanzo beans destabilize dessert cohesion. Like gays serving openly in the military, you won't know how well it works until you try it.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Chocolate Cake

1.5 c. dark chocolate chips
19 oz. of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans (cans usually come in 16 oz. cans, so buy 2; they are cheap)
4 eggs
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Place chocolate chips in a saucepan and melt on low heat, stirring often. Once it starts to melt, it finishes quickly. Remember to keep an eye on it.
3. Meanwhile, place eggs and garbanzo beans in a food processor and liquefy. Add the sugar and baking powder, pulsing to mix it.
4. Pour egg and bean mixture in to a large bowl and add the melted chocolate. Use a hand mixer until completely mixed (scrape the sides, too).
5. Pour mixture in to the prepared pan and bake for 38 - 40 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test.
6. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting on a serving dish. Cool completely and wait until serving before dusting the cake with confectioner's sugar.

And remember: wait until after your guests taste the cake to tell them what is in it...

Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Chocolate and peanut butter go together like cake and ice cream, gin and tonic, and Admiral Adama and Colonel Tigh. When my sister-in-law gave me the recipe for this cheesecake, I knew it would be among my favorites. I was not disappointed, illustrated by the fact that I am now replacing meals with cheesecake.

I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit my tastes, and it is much easier than one would expect.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake

1.75 c. finely crushed chocolate Teddy Grahams
1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, melted
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2, 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy, all-natural peanut butter
1/4 granulated sugar
3 eggs
1.5 c. dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp 2% milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped peanuts

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine the Teddy Grahams and 2 tbsp sugar until well-mixed. Add butter and mix until completely moistened. Press the mixture evenly in to the bottom and sides of a 9" pie pan (the crust will not reach the top of the sides). Put the pan in the refrigerator.
3. In a large bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the peanut butter and 1/4 c. sugar until well-combined.
4. Lightly beat one egg with a whisk and fold in to the peanut butter mixture.
5. In a saucepan, stir the dark chocolate chips over low heat until melted and smooth (it will take a few minutes; once the pan heats up, you will need to stir the chocolate constantly while it smooths out). Remove from heat. Cut the remaining package of cream cheese in to cubes and add to the chocolate. Whisk it until there are no lumps. Lightly beat the remaining two eggs and stir in to the mixture (do not whisk the eggs in).
6. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and spread half of the chocolate mixture on to the crust.
7. Carefully spread the peanut butter mixture over the first layer, and finish by placing the remaining chocolate mixture on top.
8. Bake for 45 - 48 minutes. With clean hands, gently touch the center. If your finger has no chocolate on it, the cheesecake is done. You can also tell if the entire cheesecake moves like Jell-O when tapped on the side. The outer 2 inches will also look dry and puffed. To be frank, it's kinda hard to tell.
9. Remove the pan and place on a cooling rack until completely cool. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve.
10. Place chopped peanuts (or beheaded Teddy Grahams, if you have a sick sense of humor like me) before serving.

*62 brave Teddy Grahams gave their life to make this cheesecake.

Shrikhand Ice Cream

As a child, I was obsessed with an Indian dessert called "shrikhand." In the dark ages before Greek yogurt was widely sold in grocery stores, my mother would have to strain plain yogurt by placing it on a bed of paper towels overnight. Kinda gross, but the results are amazingly delicious and fragrant after adding cardamom, saffron, rose water, and pistachios. When my sister-in-law shared this recipe with me, I nearly plotzed. Just the smell of the flavors combined reminded me of my fondest childhood memories. Enjoy!

Shrikhand Ice Cream

1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 c. 2% milk
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
3/4 c. granulated sugar
20 to 25 saffron strands, ground with a mortar and pestle
1 tablespoon rose water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Seeds from 3 - 5 cardamom pods, ground with a mortar and pestle
2 c. Greek yogurt
1/2 c. chopped pistachios

1. Sprinkle gelatin over room temperature milk. Let is rest for 2 minutes until the gelatin has swelled.
2. Add sugar and cream before moving the mixture to the stove. Heat it until it reaches 170 degrees (we used a meat thermometer; be sure that the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pan, otherwise you are getting an inaccurate reading). Cook it at 170 degrees for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, stir in saffron strands. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
4. Add yogurt, rose water, and vanilla; mix well.
5. Stir in nuts before covering tightly with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours in order to let the saffron and other flavors infuse.
6. Stir the mixture well before placing in the ice cream maker. It will feel very gelatinous after coming out of the refrigerator, but if you mix it well it will liquify.

The picture below is a stock photo for shrikhand. I know, I know. I didn't take pictures of my own creation! Mine looked better, but this paints a fairly accurate picture.

Enjoy!